Danone's Dumex baby formula division is the latest MNC to get caught in Beijing's ever-widening anti-corruption net. Last week was Bayer, and before that Sanofi.
Danone'sThe Euros are certainly attracting all the wrong sorts of attention in China these days, but it's just a matter of time before the Americans start showing up in the headlines.
We've discussed how to reduce risk through smarter relationship-building and why it's important to audit your China operation - but for some of you that ship has already sailed.
The Art of the ChinApology & The 5 ChinApology Rules
- Style over substance. You're not confessing to specific charges -- merely apologizing for hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. Humble -- but not guilty of anything specific or actionable.
- Early is good, late is worse than not at all. Pride is barbaric -- let's get this shamefest started right. The quicker you do it, the faster you can move on to next steps.
- It's defensive. You are trying to extinguish a fuse -- not put out a burning a building. A ChinApology doesn't repair damage, but it does prevent things from getting worse.
- Content Lite. Be contrite in general terms. Make your confession more about emotion and shame than actual criminality or specific charges. (If you've reached this point, then your guilt has probably already a foregone conclusion.)
- No Zingers. This is no time for revelations about who is really at fault or defensive justifications. Be brief, be sincere, be done with it.
Above all, the ChinApology should be DULL. No weeping, no passion, no anger and nothing memorable. You don't want anything that the internet people can latch on to and pass around.
It's fascinating that being "dull" is desirable and assignment of blame is unnecessary.
This protocol is so unAmerican and unWestern.
Yeah, I agree with you.
Very counter-intuitive to be both dull and apologetic.